Vivas demands a firm response from Europe to Morocco

The president of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas, has defended in Brussels the need for the European Parliament to approve "a resolution" in which it is emphasized that his city and Melilla "are the borders of Spain and Europe" as a political response to Morocco for its role in the migration crisis that began on July 30, when 80,000 people from the neighboring country accessed the autonomous city. "I believe that this response must come from the European Parliament and I think it has to be a resolution by virtue of which it is made clear that the borders of Ceuta and Melilla are the borders of Spain and Europe and that the borders must be respected," the Ceuta leader stated in remarks to the media from the community capital. During his institutional visit, Vivas met this Tuesday in Brussels with the Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner; the Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Suica, and with the team of the Commissioner for Defense, Andrius Kubilius. In these meetings, he demanded that the motion also include the rejection of a "constructive collaboration line" with Morocco if "the borders are not respected." The president has also requested that the Eurochamber recognize "the significant contributions of the citizens of Ceuta and the public servants of Ceuta," highlighting that the autonomous city is demonstrating "in these moments of high tension" to be "a mature people, who do not lose their calm even with their souls in suspense," as well as "a supportive people" and "proud to be from Spain, from Europe and of their coexistence." In this line, he emphasized that Ceuta represents "a model of coexistence among people of different faiths, of different cultures, of different origins who have decided to live sharing, living together and united in peace and harmony. I believe this also forms part of the pillars of the foundational heritage of the European Union and this is being manifested in Ceuta." "If Ceuta sinks, Spain and Europe sink" Asked about the recent statements from the European Commission regarding Morocco, which he has described as "a reliable partner," Vivas explained that in the meetings this Tuesday they provided him with the "opportunity to present" his assessment of what happened at the border. "I have said it during all these previous days, I have said it again this morning and I believe that the priority objective for everyone, the priority objective for everyone is that Ceuta manages to return to normality. The priority objective for everyone is that Ceuta comes out of the ICU," he stated. He insisted that the full guarantee of security in Ceuta is "a priority," that a similar situation "does not happen again" and that the crisis concludes "with a light of hope for a better future than we had" even "before the invasion occurred." "I have been able to express myself with total clarity and I have been able to qualify things as I believe they are and I am not going to refrain from doing so. Ceuta has been a victim of an invasion and Ceuta is finding support and backing," the Ceuta president emphasized. To conclude, he stressed that the future of the autonomous city directly affects the whole country and the European project. In his opinion, the course of Ceuta is in the "interest of the Spaniards" and "of the rest of Europe." "If Ceuta sinks, which is not going to happen, but if Ceuta sinks, Spain will sink and Europe will also sink. And I am convinced that neither the Spaniards nor the Europeans will allow that," he concluded.